1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to display devices for use in an instrument panel of a motor vehicle or the like, and more particularly to display devices of a type which uses a mirror for reflecting the visual informations from a display source toward a viewer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Utility Model First Provisional Publication No. 60-152544shows a display device used in an automotive instrument panel. The display device of the publication is schematically illustrated in FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings, which generally comprises a display source 2 (such as a fluorescent character display tube, a liquid crystal display panel or the like) mounted within a meter housing 1, and a plane mirror 3 located below the display source 2 having a predetermined angle defined therebetween.
As is illustrated by the broken lines in the drawings, the visual information-carrying light produced by the display source 2 is directed to the mirror 3 and reflected by the same toward a viewer 5 (that is, a driver). In fact, the viewer sees a virtual image 4 formed behind the mirror 3.
However, due to its inherency in construction, the display device of this type has the following drawback.
That is, when the viewer moves his (or her) head to an upper position where his eyes face perpendicularly the mirror 3, he is obliged to see his face or eyes in the mirror 3. This phenomenon however lowers the visibility of the visual informations from the display source 2. One method to eliminate this undesired phenomenon is to provide suitable shading walls 6a and 6b to a front side of the meter housing 1. However, in this case, the display area within which the visual informations from the display source 2 are displayed is considerably reduced causing a poor usage of the mirror 3.